Hand best



(No Model.)

J. F. LASH.

HAND REST.

No. 354,712. Patented Dec. 21, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. LASH, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

HAND-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,712, dated December 21, 1886.

Application filed May 27, 1886. Serial No. 203,401. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN FANNON LASH, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, merchant, have invented an Improved Hand- Best, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved hand-rest for supporting the hand while writing at the bottom of a page in a ledger or other book; and it consists, essentially, of aplate or board having a hole through it, which is bordered on one of its edges by a strip or cleat designed to butt against the bottom edge of the book and hold the plate or board substantially in line with the said bottom edge of the book, substantially as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 is a view showing my improved hand-rest placed in position for work. Fig. 2 is a detail of the hand-rest.

A represents a light plate or board, made of wood or any other suitable material, and having a hole, B, in it. A strip or cleat; O, is glued or otherwise fastened to the plate A, parallel with one of theedges of the hole B. The opposite edge of the hole B is bordered bya similar strip or cleat, similarly secured to the bottom face of the plate A. In this way the plate A is reversible. The cleat or strip 0 shown by dotted lines butts against the I bottom edge of the book D, while the cleat 0 shown in full lines forms a projection to constitute a handle by which the supporting-plate may be adjusted.

As will be understood by reference to Fig. 1, a hand-rest made in accordance with my invention may be placed across the center of the book, enabling the writer '.to readily inscribe on that portion of theleaves of the book near the bottom. It will also be seen that a hand-rest of my construction will serve as a guide to enable a blind person to write on a straight line.

What I claim as my'invention is- 1. A plate or board, A, having-a hole, B, made in it, whereby the bottom of the page on which it is placed may be written on through said hole, in combination with a strip or cleat, O, placed on the surface of the plate, substan- 5o tially in the position and for the purpose hereinbefore described.

2. A plate or board,-A,'having a hole, B, made in it, whereby the bottom of the page on which it is placed may be written on through said hole, in combination with the strips or cleats G, fixed diagonally opposite to each other on opposite sides of the hole B and of the plate A, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Toronto, May 17, 1886.

J. LASH. 

